Are You Hooked?

April 14, 2013 by 1 Comment
hook image

hook image

While working on the IBM PC Company’s pilot internal SAP implementation project back in the 1995 timeframe, I was invited by some coworkers to attend a Blues Traveler concert that was occurring at a local outdoor concert pavilion.

Blues Traveler had released a song that year that everyone seemed to be hooked on.  By chance do you remember the title of the song?  Hook is the answer.

As the Wikipedia definition for the song states:  “The song’s title refers to a hook in music terminology: the catchy element or phrase of a song which makes it distinctive and memorable.”

Do you have any favorite musical hooks?  And, has a song ever hooked you with its first lyric?

Here are eight examples of first lyrics that always seem to lure me into listening (you’ll see the associated song title and artist called out in parentheses):

  • “He said I’ll love you ‘til I die.”  (He Stopped Loving Her Today; George Jones)
  • “I made it through the wilderness.”  (Like a Virgin; Madonna)
  • “Hey, Jude, don’t make it bad.”  (Hey, Jude; The Beatles)
  • “Last night all alone in a bar room, I met a girl with a drink in her hand.”  (Almost Persuaded; David Houston)
  • “You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht.” (You’re So Vain; Carly Simon)
  • “This one goes out to the one I love.” (The One I Love; R.E.M.)
  • “Amarillo by morning, up from San Antoine.” (Amarillo By Morning; George Strait)
  • “Crazy, I’m crazy for feeling so lonely.” (Crazy; Patsy Kline)

Now, let’s forget about songs.  Which people, places or things have immediately grabbed your attention in the past few weeks or months, and how soon did you become hooked?

More importantly, which of your hooked on habits or associations do you need to break?

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Who’s Writing Your Worldview Glasses Prescription?

April 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment
money.ca's image of rose-colored glasses

rose-colored glasses image as seen on money.ca Web site

I have been told before that I look at the world through rose-colored glasses.

What about you?  Have you paused lately to consider your particular view of the world?  If so, do you think that you’re seeing things clearly or clouded?

If the adage, “your perception is your reality,” is true, then shouldn’t we all take some time, from time to time, to consider the things that inform our individual perceptions, perspectives and, thus, our realities?

Music has often helped to inform my worldview over the years.  For example, every time I hear Édith Piaf ‘s version of the French tune, “La Vie En Rose,” played, the song seems to reinforce a certain romantic view that I hold related to the city of Paris and the country of France.

Where did that romantic view of France originate?

Apart from any news stories that I may have heard about France on television or radio during the 70s or 80s, my perspective on France really began while taking French language courses in high school and college.  During class, we not only studied the language, but we also studied the history of France and its people.  And, during class, everything I heard and learned about France seemed exotic and romantic.

Looking back, since two of my French teachers were American and the other was from Belgium, I now realize that my perception of France was formed in the majority through “hearsay” and the statements of others who were not natives of France.  Yes, until I actually visited France and gathered firsthand experience that further informed my perspective about the French and their country, I was relying on others to inform my views.

So, people, like music, have the ability to inform our perspectives.  And, the true reality is this:  we’re only given a finite amount of time to have firsthand life experience, so we ultimately must rely on secondhand knowledge, the words that others speak or write or sing, if we want to stretch our experience of the world while we’re here to the maximum degree.

Again, what about you and your view of the world?  How much of your outlook has been formulated by first or secondhand experience?

Which color are your worldview glasses?

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Do You Know the Dearest and Best?

March 31, 2013 by 1 Comment
The Old Rugged Cross

lorieline.com’s The Old Rugged Cross sheet music image

Today is Easter Sunday 2013, and, here in the US and around the world, many of us attended Easter church services to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In His honor, here are links to a few of my favorite Christian hymns along with some excerpts of my favorite lyrics:

The Old Rugged Cross – “On a hill far away, stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame.  And I love that old cross, where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain.”

He Lives! – “I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today. I know that he is living, whatever men may say.  He lives!  He lives!  Christ Jesus lives today!  He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.”

Christ the Lord is Risen Today – “Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!  Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!”

My Redeemer Lives – “The very same God who spins things in orbit…runs to the weary, the worn and the weak.  And, the same gentle hands that hold me when I’m broken, they conquered death to bring me Victory. Now, I know my Redeemer lives!”

His Eye is on the Sparrow – “I sing because I’m happy.  I sing because I’m free. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”

How Great Thou Art – “Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee, How great Thou art, how great Thou art!”

What about you?  Do you know “the dearest and best?”

It is my hope that all who read these words will know His love.

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Feliz cumpleaños, Twitter!

March 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment
mymodernmet.com's Twitter sneaker image

mymodernmet.com’s Twitter sneaker image

It’s hard for me to believe that seven years have passed since Twitter flew into the social media arena (the online platform debuted on March 21, 2006; check out this Celebrating #Twitter7 video that details the history).

What about you?  Do you have a Twitter handle?  If so, how long have you been tweeting?  And, why do you appreciate the Twitter platform?

Or, if you’re not yet a Twitter user, why have you avoided joining the global chorus of tweets?

Those who know me might say that I’m a woman of many (many) words.  And, you’ve probably heard the old saying that opposites attract.

Something about the 140-character limit for tweets imposed by Twitter intrigued me from Twitter’s beginning.

I can’t recall exactly when I first began tweeting, but I used TwimeMachine recently to view some of my old tweets, and several of those old tweets date back to 2009.  For example, here’s an example of a tweet of mine from June 4, 2009:

have chuckled recently watching the latest tv ad in Cottonelle’s “puppy at the spa” campaign: http://www.cottonelle.com/ Thu Jun 04 15:27:08 +0000 2009

I would say that I’m “somewhat active” when it comes to composing tweets, however, when it comes to reading the tweets of others, I am, as Jimi would have said, experienced.

Reading and digesting the tweets of individuals around the world on Twitter is usually a thought-provoking and informative experience.  At times, though, the countless chorus of tweets can be deafening, and it’s sometimes hard to filter through all the words and Twitter noise.

Publilius Syrus once said, “Speech is the mirror of the soul; as a man speaks, so he is.”

What do you think Twitter speech says about the soul and identity of men and women today?

When we’re at a point where we can buy Twitter sneakers, there’s no arguing that Twitter has made an impact on our modern society.  The question is:  what kind of impact?

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Are Podcasts Making a Comeback?

March 18, 2013 by 2 Comments
ramapo.edu podcast icon image

ramapo.edu podcast icon image

Listen to my podcast “Are Podcasts Making a Marketing Comeback?” on Audioboo
Filed Under: SEO and Social Media, SheCave Tagged With: , , ,

Locusts, Chávez and News in Question

March 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment
locust image via frenchtribune.com

locust image via frenchtribune.com

Have you heard?  Hugo Chávez is dead in Venezuela, and locusts have invaded Israel.

International news outlets have reported on those two happenings along with countless other occurrences within the past week.

In this era of non-stop, instant news, how do you filter the information that you receive and on which news sources do you rely?

Are all of your news sources online, or do you still read news publications in printed format?  Have you become a digital news consumer?

Mashable reported that, as of the end of 2010, more people were receiving their news from online sources rather than from printed newspapers.

So, if everyone is getting their news online these days, which are the most popular online news sites?

According to the eBusiness Knowledgebase (eBizMBA), Yahoo! News, CNN and MSNBC top the list.  Check out eBizMBA’s Top 15 most popular news Websites list.

And, what about social networks like Twitter and Facebook?  How many consumers today are relying on those sites as sources for news?

In their 2012 report, “What Facebook and Twitter Mean for News,” authors Amy Mitchell, Tom Rosenstiel and Leah Christian reported: “just 9% of digital news consumers very often follow news recommendations from Facebook or from Twitter on any of the three digital devices (computers, smartphones or tablets).”

What about you?  Do you trust the social networks to which you belong as legitimate news sources?

As a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communication, the topic of news and how it gets distributed grabbed my attention and fascination years ago.

As a journalism student, I was taught the importance of questioning news sources and channels and was warned of the dangers of relying too heavily on one source of information to learn the truths of this world.

I wonder if all those folks listening to “state-run” news reports of Chavez’s death down in Venezuela share my news outlook.

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Cajun Shrimp and Other Names

February 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment

What do you think of when you hear the words, “Cajun Shrimp?”

Cha-Ching Cherry OPI nail polish image

Cha-Ching Cherry OPI nail polish image

A recipe, maybe?  Cajun shrimp and grits, perhaps?

What about nail polish?

Come on…haven’t you heard?

Obviously, you gents are excused, but, ladies, surely some of you must have thought of OPI’s Cajun Shrimp polish upon considering the question?

Oscar night has inspired this tongue-in-cheek post today, so I have to ask a follow-up, related question:  Have you ever considered the science of nail polish naming?

I’m actually not sure if naming nail polish constitutes a science, per se, but, as a marketer who happens to be a female, I’ve always thought the job of creating creative taglines or branding for an individual nail polish color would be a cool job.

For example, consider these five nail polish names:

  1. Henna-Thing Is Possible
  2. Did Someone Say Party?
  3. Don’t Wine…Yukon Do It
  4. Cha-Ching Cherry 
  5. Pink Before You Speak

Come on, my fellow marketers, wouldn’t it be at the least non-boring to devise similar examples of turn of phrase as an assigned marketing task?

Whether you are a marketer or not, if you were asked today to name the color of a nail polish that might adorn the nails of women worldwide, what would the moniker be?

Consider all of the happenings in the world today. Consider the global economic climate. Then consider all of those unpolished nails.

Again, what are your naming ideas?  What are your suggestions?

“Too Much,” maybe?

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , , ,

When 23 Turns 50

February 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment
readycheers.com North Carolina #23 jersey image

readycheers.com North Carolina #23 jersey image

To start this post, I have to give recognition to a U.S. female sports professional who made history earlier today. Despite all the hoopla about her personal life of late, Danica Patrick drove into the sports history books today, becoming the first woman to win the pole position for the Daytona 500.  Congrats to Danica, and, now, on to another famous athlete…

Though we’ve already witnessed a plethora of stories in the news this weekend about basketball great Michael Jordan reaching his milestone 50th birthday today, I’m adding this post to the chorus.

As a North Carolina native and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) alumna who grew up only about two hours from Michael’s childhood home of Wilmington, N.C., I have to admit that, no matter any controversial stories that may have arisen about Jordan over the years, I usually smile when the topic of “MJ” comes up.

Why?  Because of the positive associated memories, of course.  When I hear about or speak of Michael Jordan, the days of my youth here in ACC country return.

For example, I recall my cassette tape with the radio-recorded “Here We Come New Orleans” song that I played via Magnavox boombox at my parents’ game-viewing party on that fun night in 1982 when the Tarheels beat the Georgetown Bulldogs to win the NCAA Men’s Division I National Basketball Championship.  I can still hear the celebratory shouts of joy as well as, “Jordan!”

And, what about those Air Jordan shoes?  I can recall so many of the teenage boys at my high school wearing them.  Then there were my college years in Chapel Thrill.  I can still see the Chicago Bulls posters featuring Jordan hanging on the dorm room walls of so many of my male counterparts.

The inspiration that so many Tarheels, like me, received from Number 23 on that championship night back in 1982 seemed to expand to the nation and then to the world.  Yes, before there was a Tiger or a Serena or a Venus, there was Mike.

Michael Jordan was one of the first U.S. athletes to establish himself as a unique marketing brand, and, none of us here in the U.S. were immune to the national advertising campaigns that highlighted Mike and his basketball feats, as his basketball career and star rose. Who could forget this Gatorade TV commercial spot with its “Be Like Mike” tagline?

Certainly Michael Jordan’s practiced skills and God-given talents helped him reach the highest peaks of basketball success, but, without doubt, a massive marketing machine also helped his star ascend — so much so that millions of people today are reflecting on what it means when number 23 turns into number 50.

For me, today evokes happy memories of long-gone Tarheel times and is a reminder of how much a Tarheel can achieve.  Years ago, I realized that I’ll never, “be like Mike.”  But, that’s OK. I’m content just to like Mike and wish him all the best.  Thanks for the memories and Happy 50th, Number 23!

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Yin and Yang of Good News and Bad News

February 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment
123rf.com's Good News Bad News origami image

123rf.com’s Good News Bad News origami image

“Life is full of hills and valleys.”  Those seven words that my father told me years ago still ring true in my ears today.  It surely seems that life is full of ups and downs.

The juxtaposition of success and failure in life highlights an important question that we all can consider: is it possible to be successful in life without having failed at some point?

If national news coverage is any indicator, the answer to that question is, “no.”  U.S. media outlets today are quick to report the downfalls of our national “heroes” – individuals who often previously are deemed by that same media as darlings for having achieved successes in their respective fields. Need some recent examples?

Consider all of the national news articles that you may have read in the past about cycling great Lance Armstrong, and then consider the recent news coverage of his doping admission and fall from grace. And, do you recall how former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and military officer David Petraeus was heralded nationally by the media over the years?  Now, think of all the news coverage about his adulterous affair and ultimate resignation from the CIA.

If U.S. “heroes” like Armstrong and Petraeus reflect who we are and what we can achieve and accomplish in terms of success, we can surely expect some failures along with our successes and to experience a mix of good and bad in the cocktail of life.

How do you feel about the U.S. media today in terms of reporting the successes and failures of individuals?  Do you think that news coverage of the good and the bad is equal in weight?  Or, do you think our national news outlets provide more coverage when it comes to reporting the failures of those who have previously been successful?

Last, are we currently addicted to seeing the rise and fall of individuals in U.S. news reporting? And, if so, why?  Maybe it’s because we’re all climbing, as media-hailed and media-slammed Miley Cyrus sang a few years ago.

Filed Under: SheCave Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Duex Dames et L’Artiste

February 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Do you know the name of the below French artist?

wikimedia.org image

wikimedia.org image

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you know the identity of the two ladies from Baltimore pictured below?

The Jewish Musuem image

The Jewish Musuem image

The Jewish Musuem image

The Jewish Musuem image

I hope that the number of those of you who know the answer to the second question above equals or surpasses the number of those of you who know the answer to the first question.

If you do know the identity of the ladies and gent above, I’d like to ask this follow-up question: do you think the ladies may have made the man?

I’d love to hear your opinion as to what extent the duex dames’ interest and funds may have influenced the artist’s career and impact on art history.

Last, if you’re a Research Triangle area local, don’t miss catching the “Collecting Matisse and Modern Masters: The Cone Sisters of Baltimore” exhibit at Duke University’s Nasher Musuem of Art before the exhibit concludes on February 10.

I had the pleasure of doing so today, and I can attest that viewing the works of Matisse, Van Gogh and Picasso up close and personal was a treat.  My thanks to Claribel and Etta for providing the opportunity.

Filed Under: SheCave, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
«Previous Page
Next Page»